Ave Maria in the Afternoon Full Hours

Segment 1: The Supernatural Transformation of the Human Person In today’s First Reading, St. Paul writes about how salvation involves the supernatural transformation of the human person through the indwelling of God. He prays that Christ will dwell in our hearts through faith. Christ’s love surpasses our human knowledge. Its infinite excellence exceeds the complete comprehension of any created int...

Segment 1: Religious Liberty on Display in Virginia Catholics in all 70 parishes of the Diocese of Arlington heard the same letter read from the pulpit last month. Bishop Michael Burbidge asked every priest to urge a “no” vote on the two amendments to the Virginia Constitution that voters will decide on Nov. 3. This is religious liberty at work, and in much of the world a bishop who did it would p...

Segment 1: Religion can save the West In recent years, more and more scholars - even those that don’t profess a Christian faith - have recognized the positive effect religion has on society. Marcus reflects on how a renewal of religious conviction can help save society. Segment 2: The Grace of Gratitude Studies are showing that gratitude is on the decline in the developed world. We have lost our s...

Segment 1: What is Pastoral Counseling? With the mental health crisis reaching unprecedented levels, the Church is finding the role she can play in counseling. What is pastoral counseling, and how does it differ from clinical counseling and spiritual direction? Segment 2: Bishop removes St Michael prayer from end of Mass Bishop Mark Beckman of Knoxville, Tennessee has ordered priests to stop prayi...

Segment 1: Return to Me: Visits to the Tabernacle (2 segments) Lynda Rozell has been on a special kind of pilgrimage, seeking out Jesus in tabernacles all over the country. In her travels, she has sensed God’s longing for His people and His desire that we “return to Him.” She joins us to share her story. Segment 2: How does Islam see itself? (2 segments) Does Islam have a real concept of reality a...

Segment 1: Two shocking deaths remind us to “Memento Mori” The headlines this weekend brought news of two sudden, shocking deaths. A priest in Ecuador died while celebrating Mass when the crucifix fell of the wall and struck him – just moments after a homily in which he preached about how we prioritize our time. And a member of the US Air Force fell from the rafters during a pregame demonstration...

Segment 1: The Greatest Tragedy of the Human Condition We were made for communion with God and every human soul suffers whenever it seeks life apart from God’s divine love. The greatest tragedy of the human condition is our enslavement to sin, which separates us from that communion with God. Marcus looks at how these themes appear in today’s readings. Segment 2: How Jesus prayed the Psalms When we...

Segment 1: “Render to Caesar what is Caesar’s…” (2 segments) In this Sunday’s Gospel, the Pharisees attempt to trick Jesus, asking if it is lawful to pay the taxes to Caesar. Jesus answers that they should “render unto Caesar what is Caesar’s, and to God what is God’s.” We unpack the readings with Rob Corzine Segment 2: Icons of Mercy: The Faith and Friendship of Mother Teresa and John Paul II (2...

Segment 1: “Sealed with the promise of the Holy Spirit” In the first chapter of his letter to the Ephesians, St. Paul writes that those who follow Jesus have been sealed with the promised Holy Spirit. Every baptized believer possesses a genuine participation in divine life, in the eternal life that Jesus Christ has secured through his death and resurrection. That’s what it means to have the indwel...

Segment 1: “Before the Foundation of the World…” In today’s First Reading, St. Paul writes to the Ephesians about how all of Salvation history, culminating in the Death and resurrection of Jesus, was envisioned by God from the beginning. And so when Paul declares that believers were chosen in Christ before the foundation of the world, he’s revealing the eternal horizon of the covenantal purposes t...

Segment 1: Advancing our Knowledge with Aristotle (2 segments) One of the big questions emerging from the rise of artificial intelligence is what exactly it means to know something at all – and it’s a question that AI cannot answer. Philosophers have explored this question for centuries, and Aristotle recognized three fundamental rules for understanding logic. We talk about them with Mike Schramm....

Segment 1: Our duty to care for the elderly Caring for the old can be exhausting, but it teaches the next generation about sacrifice and the redemptive value of suffering. We talk more about it with Andrea Picciotti-Bayer Segment 2: When Executions become a Spectacle Should the execution of a terrorist be a public event? History shows that societies that celebrate violence ultimately desensitize t...

Segment 1: “Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified their flesh” In today’s first reading, St. Paul tells the Galatians that those who belong to Jesus Christ have crucified their flesh with its passions and desires. He is describing the radical transformation that occurs when the Holy Spirit restores our fallen humanity into life in the covenant. Marcus takes a closer look at the readings....

Segment 1: Pope Leo Prays for Mental Health Ministry Pope Leo has announced his prayer intention for this month: mental health ministry. As America and the world in general faces a mental health crisis, it’s time to consider the role the faithful can play in helping those who are struggling with mental health. Dr. Greg Popcak joins us. Segment 2: US Bonds Rates rise Interest rates in the U.S. have...

Segment 1: The marriage crisis goes global It’s no secret that we are seeing a worldwide collapse of marriage. This change reveals a civilizational downfall – we have systematically abandoned this sacred institution that is responsible for producing the very people upon whom the species, and the culture, depends. Marcus has more. Segment 2: Mike Ditka on Faith and Manhood Mike Ditka, who died last...

Segment 1: The Medal of Honor soldier who never carried a gun On this day in 1945, President Truman presented the Medal of Honor to Desmond Thomas Doss for his extraordinary courage in World War II. As a Seventh-day Adventist, he was convinced that his Christian faith prohibited him from killing another human being. But he also saw it as his patriotic duty to service alongside his fellow Americans...

Segment 1: “For Freedom Christ set us Free” In today’s First Reading, St Paul writes to the Galatians: “For freedom Christ set us free; so stand firm and do not submit again to the yoke of slavery.” All of the mistakes we see in salvation history comes when man tries to play God. But we do not need to be slaves to our sin. Freedom simply means the capacity to choose the good. And so keep choosing...

Segment 1: “The feast is ready, but those who were invited were not worthy to come” (2 segments) In this Sunday’s Gospel, we hear the parable of the wedding feast. A king gave a feast for his son, but none of the invited guests would come. We unpack the readings with Rob Corzine. Segment 2: What is Love? (2 segments) In a culture that talks constantly about love, while often reducing it to an emot...

Segment 1: John Henry Newman: a saint for our age The Church celebrates October 9th as the Feast of St John Henry Newman – not because he died on this day, but because he was received into the Catholic Church. After years of study and struggle, he surrendered himself to the fullness of Truth. For Newman, Christianity necessitated intellectual integrity. Marcus has more. Segment 2: Igniting the Fut...

Segment 1: Three Years since October 7 – What’s Changed? On October the 7th, 2023, Hamas Muslim terrorists invaded southern Israel and perpetrated what is objectively the deadliest massacre of Jews since the Holocaust, slaughtering approximately 1,200 people, abducting 251 hostages during an orchestrated campaign of barbaric violence against innocent civilians. Since then, we’ve seen a resurgence...

Segment 1: “Ask and you shall receive” Today’s Gospel features a parable about prayer. Jesus tells of a man whose friend arrives late at night, and persistently knocks until the man gives him some bread. Prayer emerges from the relationship between a Heavenly Father and His beloved children who have the extraordinary privilege of being able to approach Him with complete confidence. We can trust hi...

Segment 1: SCOTUS is back in session – here’s five cases you need to know about The Supreme Court opens its new term this week with a docket that is shaping up to be a syllabus in religious liberty and parental rights, and that is no coincidence. Andrea Picciotti-Bayer gives us a preview. Segment 2: Ave Maria Radio celebrates 30 years It’s been 30 years since Ave Maria Radio began broadcasting, an...

Segment 1: Hail Queen of Heaven In the Davidic Kingdom, the mother of the king –the Gebirah - held one of the most important positions in the kingdom. Marcus looks to Old Testament writings and tradition to discuss the roots of Mary’s Queenship. Segment 2: “Consent Culture” is not enough The accusations of a sexual assault at Cornell University have brought to light the problems with a sexual cult...

Segment 1: Want a better marriage? Go to Church A new report by the Institute for Family Studies found that church attendance is correlated with happy, fulfilling marriages but urges parishes to increase support for big families. We talk more about the study with Dr Greg Popcak. Segment 2: Cancel Culture – The Modern-Day Pharisees Two recent stories encapsulate the ongoing prevalence of “cancel cu...

Segment 1: St. Ignatius’ Advice for Deacons Today’s Office of the Readings includes a letter from Ignatius of Antioch on the role of Deacons in the Church. Ignatius begins his letter from the language of communion. Christianity for him is not an isolated spiritual experience. It’s covenantal. God gathers a people into an ordered body together with him. And deacons are ministers of the mysteries of...